The KVR Developer Challenge 2009 has ended and that means that there are some interesting new freebies available.

There were 42 entries:

• 40 of these are available for Windows;
• 6 for Mac OS X; and
• 1 for Linux.

Highlights include a Moog Model D clone, a bassline synth with built-in effects, a granular synthesizer and a convolution reverb.

Here are links to the new free music plugins:

• amphetamine by easytoolz (by NEK-X)
• Anawave (by Lithium)
• Antopya (by L-Day)
• Armchair Guitarist (by Minouris)
• Barberpole Tuner (by Christian Budde)
• Black Ops (by gpunk)
• dimensional vector spider (by afdarhus)
• Drum Synze (by Longsoft)
• dschlon_nzElektrik (by Michael Benjamin)
• Eigenmode (by eigentone)
• EQUINOX (by IIRs)
• Explor3r (by thelowerrhythm)
• FerricTDS (by bootsie)
• FMMF (by de la Mancha)
• Harsh Digital Nose (by insertpizhere)
• HybridReverb2 (by c.borss)
• In-Kult (by mickygemma)
• JBM Jagular (by jobromedia)
• LISAROCK V1.0(VST/AU) PLUGIN (by seibel1)
• massTURBOtar (by LpD)
• MIDI LFO (by gertius)
• MoarF VSTi (by __F__)
• NCL Phase EQ (by matt42)
• New Blend (by xoxos)
• PanCake (by Jakob / CableGuys)
• Phase Shifter (by Astralp)
• Phonics/Attack Entrancer (by nix808)
• Piezo Drum Pad Pack (by FrettedSynth)
• pk_hui (by discodaniel)
• Prodigious Synthesizer (by synthescience)
• Psychic Modulation – Metatron (by Jack R)
• RA Mowg (by Chris Roberson)
• sg-grainbot (by synthgeek)
• SIMPLICITY (by BONES)
• SpectroBits (by g200kg)
• Stolon (by novaflash)
• SynekDC (by duncanparsons)
• The Marcus Johnson Collection (by sunahura)
• Transistorhead (by sonicase)
• Twin Engined Verb (by daz.diamond)
• unicycle (by spacedad)
• _02.circles (by rl)

This video looks at Zynaddsubfx, a Linux software synthesizer.

Features:

• Realtime synth
• Polyphonic synth (allows playing more than one note at once)
• Mutlitimbral synth (allows playing more than one instrument at once)
• Microtonal capabilities with any scale, up to 128 notes per octave, and key mapping
• Three synthesizer engines:
  1. “ADsynth” or “ADnote” is a complex engine which makes sounds by adding a number of voices. Each one has filters, envelopes, LFOs, morphing, modulation (Ring Modulation, Phase Modulation… the modulators can have any shape), resonance, etc. Each voice includes a very powerful waveform generator with up to 128 sine/non-sine harmonics. You can use Fourier synthesis or if you don’t like it you can wave-shaping/filtering of functions. This engine includes anti-aliasing.
  2. “SUBsynth” or “SUBnote” is a simple engine which makes sounds through subtraction of harmonics from white noise
  3. “PADsynth” or “PADnote” is engine that makes very beautiful pads and other instruments. (these instruments can be exported for use with other programs too)
• Legato, Poly, and Mono modes
• Instruments can be organized in kits, which allows you to make drum kits or layered(mixed) instruments; this makes possible to use more than one instrument for a single part. It is possible to choose what items from the kit should be processed by the Part’s effects.
• Effects:
  • Reverb, Echo, Chorus/Flange, Phaser, AlienWah (it’s a kind of vocal morpher), Distortion(Wave-shaping), EQ, DynamicFilter
  • The effects can behave as System Effects or as Insertion Effects; this allows to use many effects at the same time. You can put any insertion effect on any part(or more insertion effects to same parts, if you like so) or you can put the insertion effect to Master output (very useful if you use the EQ effect). Also, you can have instrument’s effect (which save with the instrument).
• Filters up to 60dB/octave (or more..); filters can be analogic (LPF,HPF, BPF,etc.), formant(advanced formant filters) and state variable (SVF)
• Envelopes can have ADSR (or ASR, etc..) modes or can be free modes (with any shape)
• Many settings have a “randomness” option, which you can make instruments that every time produces a subtle different sound; this produces a very pleasant effect (like analogue synths or natural instruments that can’t produces exactly same sound twice). Because of this, even if it is digital synthesis, it sounds “warm”. Listen the ogg vorbis demos from this page to hear this effect.
• The specifications can be easily changed, so (for example) if you want to change the number of voices or parts to a higher value or to allow a higher number of effects at the same time, there is necessary to change only a single value from the source file (globals.h) and to recompile the program
• Intuitive and easy to use User Interface with Clipboard and many objects has user presets
• Midi support (supports many controllers) and (if you want) JACK support
• A built-in Virtual Keyboard which let you to use it even if you don’t have a real midi keyboard
• The graphical user interface can be completely disabled if the user need so
• It is a free program, licensed under version 2 of the GNU General Public License
• LASH support
• DSSI audio output
• Over 300 high quality instruments included
• Many other features… It is is impossible to describe all this program’s features in just a page

via metalx1000:

http://filmsbykris.com/

Free Mac Music Software: Sorry, Windows-based musicians, but this freebie is just for Mac & Linux users.

SooperLooper is a live looping sampler capable of immediate loop recording, overdubbing, multiplying, reversing and more. It allows for multiple simultaneous multi-channel loops limited only by your computer’s available memory.

The application is a standalone JACK client with an engine controllable via OSC and MIDI. It also includes a GUI which communicates with the engine via OSC (even over a network) for user-friendly control on a desktop. However, this kind of live performance looping tool is most effectively used via hardware (midi footpedals, etc) and the engine can be run standalone on a computer without a monitor.

SooperLooper is currently supported on Linux and Mac OS X, and any other platforms that support JACK. The Mac OS X package is usable with at least the 0.6 release of JACK OS X. Note that for OS X Tiger, you’ll need to get at least version 0.7 of JACK-OSX. A Mac OS X Audio Unit version is included which does not require JACK to run.

See the SooperLooper site for details.

LMMS is a free cross-platform multimedia studio which lets you product music with your computer – sort of like Garageband for people that didn’t buy a Mac.

Features:

• Song-Editor for composing songs
• A Beat+Bassline-Editor for creating beats and basslines
• An easy-to-use Piano-Roll for editing patterns and melodies
• An FX mixer with 64 FX channels and arbitrary number of effects allow unlimited mixing possibilities
• Many powerful instrument and effect-plugins out of the box
• Full user-defined track-based automation and computer-controlled automation sources
• Compatible with many standards such as SoundFont2, VST(i), LADSPA, GUS Patches, and full MIDI support
• Import of MIDI and FLP (Fruityloops® Project) files

You can’t beat the price, so give it a try and let me know what you think of it!

via Lifehacker

Insert Piz Here has released Mr. Alias 2, a freeware instrument plug-in for Windows, Mac and Linux:

Mr. Alias 2 uses non-bandlimited oscillators which can be transposed near to and beyond the Nyquist frequency, causing most of their spectra to be aliased back into audible non-harmonic frequencies. The sound can then be further processed by a number of crude “effects.”

Though it is based on the same concept as the original, Mr. Alias 2 is completely rewritten for cross-platform compatibility, and has a number of significant improvements.

Mr. Alias 2 is available as a VST plugin for Windows (32-bit), Mac OS X (Universal Binary), and Linux (x86), and as an Audio Unit for Mac OS X.

You can preview the sound of Mr Alias below:

Over at CDM, Peter Kirn turned me onto Hans Kuder’s tiction – a new visual music performance/sequencing application.

Tiction is a flexible, nodal music sequencer created in processing. You can see it in action in the video, above. 

Each node represents an event, and a connection from one node to the next triggers the next event after a certain number of tics.

Nodes send MIDI note messages and/or MIDI controller change messages when triggered. Connecting nodes in a circuit lets you start a repeating pattern when one of the nodes is triggered.

A node can change its pitch and controller values based on its position on the screen. When a node is triggered, it performs some physical action: either repelling or attracting other nearby nodes, or nudging itself in a random direction. The physical interaction between nodes allows you to construct complex, rhythmic melodies and effects without having to draw filter envelopes or touch a traditional sequencer.

If you’re familiar with Nodal, you’ll see some overlap – but tiction introduces some interesting physical action, while sacrificing reliability and predictability. 

Tiction is free and is available for Mac, Windows and Linux. Tiction relies on other apps for sound generation; see the download page for software requirements.

Mixxx, the free, open source DJ application for Windows, Mac & Linux, has been updated and is available as a free software download.

According to the developers:

Mixxx 1.6.0 represents over a year’s worth of hard work from our growing development team. The development of 1.6.0 was been driven by continuous feedback from our users, the bulk of which began in May 2007 with our popular user survey. Since then, we’ve taken the features that people wanted the most and focused every effort on developing them. Needless to say, 1.6.0 is light-years ahead of 1.5.0, and our community’s continued appreciation for Mixxx has served as a strong motivator for us throughout its development.

Features include:

• Parallel waveform displays
• Waveform summaries
• MP3, OGG, WAVE, and FLAC playback
• Pitch-independent time stretch (key lock)
• Vinyl emulation
• Wave recording
• Free, open source software
• BPM detection and estimation
• Supported MIDI controllers:
  • Hercules DJ Console MK2
  • Hercules DJ Console MP3
  • Hercules DJ Console RMX
  • Hercules DJ Console Mac Edition
  • Mixman DM2
  • Tascam US-428
  • M-Audio X-Session Pro
  • M-Audio Xponent
  • Evolution X-Session
  • Ecler NUO4
  • FaderFox DJ2
  • Vestax VCI-100
  • Numark Total Control
  • More – see the Hardware Compatibility page.
• Multichannel soundcard support (playback and capture)
• Multiple soundcard support
• Cross-platform (Windows XP and Vista, Mac OS X, Linux)
• Adjustable EQ shelves
• Crossfader curve control
• Skinnable interface with extra skins bundled
• Adjustable pitch range
• Multi-core CPU support
• 24-bit/96000 Hz playback and capture
• Crystal clear audio
• Hardware video acceleration
• Vinyl control support for:
  • Serato CV02 vinyl
  • Traktor Scratch vinyl
  • FinalScratch Standard vinyl
  • FinalScratch Scratch vinyl
  • Serato CD

Here’s a list of what’s changed since version 1.5:

• New MIDI mappings for Tascam US-428, M-Audio X-Session Pro, Evolution X-Session, FaderFox DJ2, and the M-Audio Torq Xponent, Vestax VCI-100, Akai MPD24, Behringer BCD3000 (including LEDs), Numark Total Control
• Many Hercules MK2 improvements
• Support for the Hercules DJ Console RMX
• Support for the Hercules DJ Console Mac Edition
• Slick sliding VU meter peaks – Screenshots don’t do this justice (download it and check it out).
• Added the new Natt skin, from Natt from the forums.
• Completely rewritten waveform view by Russell Ryan through Google Summer of Code. This will provide better performance for some users.
• Some very under-the-hood improvements that should fix the odd crash-at-startup and improve performance.
• Fixed keyboard cue keys to use whatever cue behaviour is selected in the preferences.
• MP3 parsing fixes for files with cover art (fixes blips at the start of some songs)
• OGG parsing improvements, fixes some library scanning problems
• Fixed OGG playback on Intel OS X machines
• Completed drag-and-drop support in the library. You can now import tracks to the library by drag-and-dropping a track from outside Mixxx onto the library view. You can also reorder tracks in a playlist or the library.
• Option to disable the BPM detection.
• Added BPM reading from MP3/OGG files which have it embedded in them (ID3), one of several enhancements by Martin Sakmar
• Various accuracy improvements to the BPM detection
• Improvements to the vinyl emulation and pitch-independent time stretch sound quality
• Wave recording support
• Vinyl control with support for Serato, Traktor, and FinalScratch vinyl, as well as Serato CD.
• Added support for multiple inputs on a single soundcard for vinyl control
• Build flags are now cached automatically
• Improved flanger effect, thanks to Enry
• Configurable cue behaviour, which now defaults to CDJ-style cueing. (Thanks to Tom Care)
• Enabled realtime priority with ALSA, improves performance with Linux RT kernels.
• FLAC support for Linux and OS X users (much requested)
• Tons and tons of bug fixes.
• Fixed crashes due to vinyl emulation mode
• Improved compatibility with JACK (some users were experiencing choppiness)
• Players should now only pull from the play queue if in NEXT mode
• Search functionality:
  o Search box now selects all text when clicked (easier to make a new search now)
  o When the search box is cleared, the library view will scroll back to it’s previous position.
  o Search now properly filters directories out
• Library stuff:
  o Double-clicking on a song now sends the song to the first stopped player.
  o Right-click menu cleaned up, much nicer now
  o Library directory rescans on startup when it’s been modified (*doesn’t work when subdirectories are modified yet)
  o Library view now shows directories first
  o Columns in the library view are proportioned intelligently now
  o Renamed the “Playlist” menu to “Library”
  o Added “Rescan Library” menu item.
  o Can select multiple songs (hold shift) and send them to the play queue or a playlist
• Playlist support:
  o Can create, import, delete, and rename playlists
  o Added “Playlists” to library drop-down box
  + Can right-click to send a playlist to the play queue.
• Fixed some bugs in the track properties dialog, and set default values
• Fixed a soundcard channel selection bug when the second device had more channels than the first.
• Added BPM Schemes (need to make some presets still)
• Minor speed optimization
• OS X/Leopard package for Intel users!
• A few build system (dependency checking) fixes
• MIDI LED control on Linux
• A few MIDI tweaks here and there
• Right-clicking on a knob/slider no longer moves with your mouse (it just centers the value)
• Using your mouse’s scroll wheel now changes the values of sliders and knobs (this is cool for laptop users with the little scroll bar at the side of their trackpads)
• DirectSound is now the default API on Windows
• ALSA Sequencer MIDI support courtesy of Cedric Gestes
• A couple of MIDI bug fixes (knobs now center properly, thanks to Sacha Berger)
• Added support for 14-bit MIDI pitch wheel controllers (thanks to Adam Sugerman)
• Hercules support on Linux improved (jog wheels work again)
• Big stability improvements
• Multiple soundcards can now be used for output (master/headphones), in case you don’t have a soundcard with 4 outputs on it.
• Adam’s wicked colour scheme support for skins
• Can now change skins without restarting Mixxx (more hard work from Adam)
• Channel VU meters are now pre-fader
• VU meters are now much more smooth
• Added clipping indicators (courtesy of John Sully)
• Higher quality EQs and other sound quality improvements (also from John Sully)
• Adjustable EQ shelves
• New MIDI mapping format now in XML, supports controlling LEDs
• Better Hercules support on Windows and Linux
• New BPM detection algorithm (Micah Lee/GSoC 2007)
• New media library (Nathan Prado/GSoC 2007)
• LADSPA effects support (not yet enabled – Pawel Bartkiewicz/GSoC 2007)
• BPM Tap tempo
• Ported to Qt 4
• Moved build system to SCONS
• Redesigned preferences dialogs
• Rewritten audio core (Albert)
• Vinyl control support for Serato, Traktor Scratch, and FinalScratch (FS needs work, but the others are good)
• Software preamp for vinyl control (can use turntables without a preamp)
• Track info editor (double-click in library)
• New library browse mode (CTAF)
• Starts in fullscreen mode if launched with the -f flag.
• Several MP3 decoder performance and stability improvements (John Sully)
• Support for merengue
• Reorganized “File” menu
• NEXT mode now works as expected (plays the next track in the table)
• Lots of little OS X improvements
• Improved consistency of fullscreen mode
• Customizable constant power crossfader curve
• Slow fade and fast cut crossfader curves
• Play queue, for creating an on-the-fly playlist
• Revamped playlist interface, editing
• Reasonably intelligent library rescanning